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Spice World (film)
Spice World is a 1997 British musical comedy film directed by Bob Spiers and written by Kim Fuller and Jamie Curtis. The film stars pop girl group the Spice Girls who all play themselves. The lighthearted comedy — made in a similar vein to The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night (1964) — depicts a series of fictional events leading up to a major concert atLondon's Royal Albert Hall, liberally interspersed with dream sequences and flashbacks as well as surreal moments and humorous asides. This is the second feature-length film directed by Spiers, following That Darn Cat (1997). The film features Richard E. Grant, Claire Rushbrook, Naoko Mori, Meat Loaf, Barry Humphries, and Alan Cumming in supporting roles. Filming took place in London, England for six of the eight filming weeks and also inside Twickenham Studios, as well as at over 40 famous British landmarks. Shooting featured several fourteen-hour shooting sessions and a constant, heavy media presence due to the Spice Girls' large popularity at the time. The film premiered on 15 December 1997 and was released in British cinemas on the British holiday Boxing Day (26 December). In North America, the film was distributed by Columbia Pictures, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, and Icon Entertainment International and premiered on 23 January 1998. In the United States, Spice World became a box office hit and broke the record for the highest-ever weekend debut for Super Bowl Weekend with box office sales of $10,527,222. The film grossed $77 million at the box office worldwide and over $100 million including DVD sales.[4] Despite being a box office success, the film received primarily negative reviews. Plot The film begins with the Spice Girls performing "Too Much" on Top of the Pops, but they become dissatisfied with the burdens of fame and fortune. Meanwhile, sinister newspaper owner Kevin McMaxford (Barry Humphries) is attempting to ruin the girls' reputation for his newspaper's ratings. McMaxford dispatches photographer Damien (Richard O'Brien) to take pictures and tape recordings of the girls. Less threatening but more annoying is Piers Cuthbertson-Smyth (Alan Cumming), who stalks the girls along with his camera crew, hoping to use them as subjects for his next project. At the same time, the girls' uptight manager, Clifford (Richard E. Grant) and his sympathetic assistant Deborah (Claire Rushbrook), are fending off two over-eager Hollywood writers, Martin Barnfield and Graydon (George Wendt and Mark McKinney), who relentlessly pitch absurd plot ideas for a feature film for the Spice Girls. Amid this, the girls must prepare for their live concert at the Royal Albert Hall in three days, the biggest performance of their career. At the heart of it, the constant practices, traveling, publicity appearances, and other burdens of celebrity affect the girls on a personal level, preventing them from spending much time with their pregnant best friend, Nicola (Naoko Mori), who is due to give birth soon. Throughout the busy schedule, the girls attempt to ask Clifford for time off to spend with Nicola and relax, but Clifford refuses after talking with the head of the girls' record label, the cryptic and eccentric "Chief" (Roger Moore). The stress and overwork compound, which culminate in a huge argument between Clifford and the girls. The girls suddenly storm out on the evening before their gig at the Albert Hall. The girls separately think back on their humble beginnings and their struggle to the top. They reunite by chance outside the now-abandoned café where they practiced during their childhood years, they reconcile, and decide to take Nicola out dancing. However, Nicola goes into labor at the nightclub and is rushed to the hospital in the girls' bus, giving birth to a healthy baby girl. When Emma notices that the delivery "doctor" has a camera, the girls realize that he is Damien, who runs off with the girls in hot pursuit, only to hit his head after accidentally colliding with an empty stretcher. When Damien sees the girls standing over him, he tells them that they have made him see the error of his ways, and he goes after McMaxford, who is subsequently fired in a "Jacuzzi scandal". After noticing the girls' bus driver, Dennis (Meat Loaf) is missing, Victoria decides to take the wheel. It becomes a race against time as Victoria drives like a maniac through London. While approaching Tower Bridge, the bridge begins to raise to let a boat through the River Thames. Victoria drives up the bridge and over the gap. The bus finally lands safely on the other side, but when Emma opens a trapdoor in the floor, she discovers a bomb, and the girls scream before Emma slams the trapdoor shut again. The girls finally arrive at the Royal Albert Hall for their performance and run up the steps. However, the girls have one more obstacle to overcome: a London policeman (Kevin McNally) charged the girls with: "dangerous driving, criminal damage, flying a bus without a license, and frightening the pigeons". Emma pushes forward and tells the policeman that she and the other girls were late for their performance at the Albert Hall. Emma smiles at the policeman, and he lets the girls off for their performance. The film ends when the girls perform their song "Spice Up Your Life" at the start of their Royal Albert Hall concert broadcast live on television around the world. The supporting cast later talk about the girls' film during the closing credits. Mel C breaks the fourth wall and tells the other girls that the outgoing audience is watching them. The girls talk to the audience, commenting on "those two in the back row snogging" and on one's dress, and discuss their film, just minutes before the bomb in their bus explodes. Cast **Victoria Adams ("Posh Spice") as herself **Melanie Brown ("Scary Spice") as herself **Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice") as herself **Melanie Chisholm ("Sporty Spice") as herself **Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice") as herself **Richard E. Grant as Clifford **Claire Rushbrook as Deborah **Roger Moore as The Chief **Naoko Mori as Nicola **Meat Loaf as Dennis **Barry Humphries as Kevin McMaxford **Jason Flemyng as Brad **Richard O'Brien as Damien **Alan Cumming as Piers Cuthbertson-Smyth **George Wendt as Martin Barnfield **Mark McKinney as Graydon **Steven O'Donnell as Jess **Gary Crombie as Roy MacInerney **Michael Barrymore as Mr. Step **Jools Holland as Musical director **Kevin McNally as Policeman / Dance of the Goblins disassociator **Kevin Allen as Gainer **Peter Sissons as himself **Neil Mullarkey as Barnaby **Richard Briers as Bishop **Dominic West as Photographer **Bill Paterson as Brian **Jonathan Ross as himself **Elvis Costello as Bartender **Elton John as himself **Bob Geldof as himself **Bob Hoskins as himself **Jennifer Saunders as Fashionable woman **Hugh Laurie as Poirot **Stephen Fry as Judge ** Theatrical Trailer Category:1997 films Category:1998 films Category:Columbia Pictures films Category:Rated PG movies Category:PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films